To compare the liver iron content (LIC) determined by
different MR methods, we investigated 30 patients with both spin-echo (SE) and
gradient echo (GRE) sequences. LIC was measured with two published methods.
Both methods correlate moderately for low LIC. In the high LIC range, however,
patients with LIC of 150 250 mmol/kg liver dry tissue derived from SE show
LIC values of 250 300 mmol/kg determined with GRE. A possible explanation for
this may be the highly inhomogeneous iron distribution in the liver. Although
GRE generally tends to overestimate LIC, both methods are suitable for
decisions concerning patient management.